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209
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3/24/2015
Location
Kennewick, WA
US
Edited Date/Time
6/22/2017 11:25am
Howdy!
I was wondering do you guys do training off the bike? Do you lift weights? If so what kind of lifts help the most with cycling? I take a weight training class at school so we do the main lifts such as bench, squat, deadlift, powercleans, etc. We also do body weight exercises such as pushups and pullups, and jumps. Will that help with my fitness on my bike? I do not run a lot. But I do get an average of 60 on the pacer test. I am trying to lose weight too.
I was wondering do you guys do training off the bike? Do you lift weights? If so what kind of lifts help the most with cycling? I take a weight training class at school so we do the main lifts such as bench, squat, deadlift, powercleans, etc. We also do body weight exercises such as pushups and pullups, and jumps. Will that help with my fitness on my bike? I do not run a lot. But I do get an average of 60 on the pacer test. I am trying to lose weight too.
As much as you can laugh at the Kenny Powers meme its actually true, do you want to get faster on the bike or better at lifting weights up and down?
Personally i do both, and the the training for both is completely different, i dont for one second think that increasing your 1repmax on bench, squat and deadlift will do fuck all for your riding.
For me, using exercises that mimic on bike movements and hitting them for higher rep ranges works, my "bike specific" workout is;
5 sets of dips with a crunch at the end of each rep, for as many as i can do maintaining form.
5 sets of split squats with kettle bells, 10 on each leg
5 sets of pullups, close grip, wide grip, whatever, as many clean reps up to 10 as i can
5 sets standing shoulder press with a set of forearm curls at the end of each.
thats in the gym sorted, out of the gym, ride more, build a singlespeed, eat better.
This all worked for me through trial and error, so its just my opinion, im sure theres some bullshit crosshit workout that will get recommended but i like my spine, and im sure you could read mad amounts of "research" and "science", but id rather see results than read about them.
good luck
https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/l/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/127…
It's safe to say that squats, lunges and deadlifts help a lot while riding. Work a lot on your core strength and stability. Pullups and Pushups help too.
Also in general just core stability.
I also do a lot of cardio and interval training.
I train all the olympic lifts, and they're great for building general allround strength but i think there are exercises specific to bike riding that you'll see bigger benefits from, such as split squats.
Dont get me wrong, id never sack off the big compound moves, i just think if you want to achieve sports specific goals, you need to train with sports specific exercises.
and like the other guys say, never miss core, but dont forget to target your obliques aswell.
When I used to train a lot I spent a lot of time doing squats and lunges and it really paid off but I tended to keep the weights lighter. Stuff like kettle bell squats, single leg squats and working on explosive power paid off much better for me than a year of heavy weights.
Everyone is different (I easily build and maintain leg muscle but my body struggles to develop matching arms no matter what I've tried.
Something like CrossFit might be worth looking at as they aim for strength AND endurance. My GF has been doing it for 6 months now and is a much faster and stronger rider for doing so. And more varied than the regular weight training she used to do.
Before you go out and get a gym membership, try searching for a "bootcamp" 30-40 min workout on youtube. They kick your ass, really help with core, and you don't need to buy weights as they're usually all bodyweight exercises. Buying a kettlebell for yourself is helpful too. Takes up no space and can be used for so many different things.
Honestly, when you start out everything is great: after 2 years of working out on my own, I got a training plan from a cycling coach/personal trainer and now things have progressed a lot faster!
Responsiblepirate and Fredleth, not on the right track as much. Your time in the gym isn't best spent training muscular endurance or stability by trying to replicate bike specific positions or exercises. The best way to train for that is by riding your bike and doing so with some structure. Progressively ride longer or faster. Your muscles and cardio will improve. Trying to replicate the instability or position of riding a bike in the gym will lead you to not being able to lift enough weight to generate the neuromuscular adaptations that cross over to improving your strength or power on the bike.
The area of performance that isn't trained on the bike is strength and power (unless you are doing max sprints for 10-20seconds). The large majority of clients that I train initially can't even train strength because their movement is so poor, especially tightness through the hip flexors and quads which helps contribute (along with our love of sitting on our arse most of the day at work or home) to a lack of glute activation, leading to imbalances around the hips and then lower back and knee pain/injuries down the track. Ensure your movement/mobility is good, then learn proper technique in those exercises you listed and then progress towards lifting heavy and lifting fast.
2 sessions a week (3 max) is a good balance to compliment the bike training. Lift heavy and fast in the gym. Leave endurance to on the bike training and incorporate some yoga/pilates/stretching into your program.
The way i train might not match up with a textbook, but its worked for me, thats all i was stating. Now i didnt spend a weekend getting my personal trainer cert, so im no expert, but if i do those "wrong track" excercises and actually see benefits on the bike, then id say that for me, im on the right track.
And on another note, who mentioned mimicking instability? i mentioned mimicking movement and every excercise mentioned was a legitimate strength building movement, speaking of which, have you seen Nino Shurters training video on Pinkbike? he'll obviously never win races by performing bike specific movements like those....
Nino's workout is pretty interesting, don't forget that it also included heavy and explosive exercises, not just stability. The thing is though, Nino is the best in the world and has been training for years and years. He is looking for the 1% gains and also has much more available time than the average rider. So when time is limited, you should prioritise the low hanging fruit first and/or choose workouts and exercises that are going to have the greatest effect on your performance. Building generic strength & power first achieves that.
Another use of chains is in Flat Bench Press, having extra heavy length of chain off each end - can weigh up to fifty pounds. One rep will have varied weight for ingress/egress, highest once at full extension.
While I hadn't lost a ton of weight (currently 255lbs) I am in MUCH better shape than I have been in like 8 years.
I used to work out 3-4 times a week, but holiday breaks usually don't allow me to stay on track with my regime. I need to return to my workout routine. I've found a 30-day plan https://betterme.world/articles/30-day-calisthenics-workout-plan/ and it seems to be perfect for those who did a long break. Later, I'll add weightlifting.
Thought about it, but got an ebike instead
I think that when beginning training or a new sport it's important to start by focusing on becoming a well rounded, balanced athlete and then later training more specifically for a certain purpose. The best weight training for this is the major compound movements with freeweights, which is what you've been learning already in class and continuing with that will help a lot with biking and health in general. Just keep an eye on your form, ideally with the help of a trainer or an experienced friend and then make sure to progressively load. Progress will be fast to begin with and it's a really fun time.
I’ve always been into weight training since I was 16, now I’m 39 and still hitting weights. I think it has helped a ton with riding. As far as what to work on specifically I wouldn’t worry about it. Start lifting with proper form, do compound lifts (squats, deadlift, presses, etc) and build from there. Make sure your lifting safely and I think with time you’ll notice things on the bike will be easier too.
In my younger days I wanted to put on muscle and gain weight. Now I’m more about being well rounded. I’ve hit some big lifts but now I focus on staying strong but more cardio and endurance too. It’s made everything easier from chasing my kids, to work to biking.
Everyone should do some sort of weight training, especially as they age. It’s definitely “trendy” now (judging by the number of older folks I see at my gym starting to lift with trainers or take strength based classes over cardio), but the science is there. Checkout the Barbell Prescription if interested in that sort of things. Lots of studies out linking longevity to strength and movement capability. On top of that, a layer of muscle is like armor for your body in the case of crashes on the bike.
Anyway, I lift 2-3 times a week, do at least one movement or Pilates session a week, and usually do two days of “spin” classes: all in the morning before work when my wife and I go to the gym. Then I usually try to get in a run or bike time 2-3 days a week after work and at least one longer ride on the weekends. My kids getting older and more independent has freed up a lot of time. When I was a taxi for all their activities, I wasn’t nearly as ambitious with my fitness.
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